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I decided that the best place to write about I Corps and my experiences will be on this blog. It gives the members of Leather.com a choice as to whether they want to read it or not!

I Corps in Vietnam for those of us that served there left a deep impression in our minds and that's an understatement! It's with me everyday of my life since I came back from Vietnam where I served as an infantry squad leader.

I believe that no matter what your MOS was all those that served there have a story. Whether you were inside or outside the wire, Vietnam was just a crazy place to be. Many of us grew from just kids to manhood in a real sobering way.

Our time in history was really chaotic; from the Civil Rights movement, the threat of Nuclear war with Russia, fighting the Vietnam war, and then coming home to a society that didn't want us made for a real roller coaster ride and then some.

My first impression of Vietnam was that it was a hot, humid, and totally different from anything I could compare it to. The reality would come pretty quick that I was in a life and death situation. So as I start this blog my hope is that what I write will be a healing time for all who read it as we can all come to realize we were in it together.

Comments

Gunny S.,
I believe this blog of yours to be a good idea.
I once tried it myself on another site but I quickly gave it up as it became too personal, which of course threatened my security and so I once again withdrew and bunkered up. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and even though I try to hide from the world what I consider sacred memories, albeit many of which are terrible and painful, I need a place to not only observe and listen, but also to vent and to share with others who walked in my shoes. Many of us, including me, have trust issues, and anger issues, as well as the usual amount of survivor's guilt, ghosts and demons and all the other baggage that the professionals like to think makes us so easy to identify and diagnose in recent years. I know from personal experience of going it alone and from being invisible for over 40 years that many times, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Again, a good idea and I hope to contribute when I can, as long as I can, because the only reason I broke my silence a few years ago was hoping it would be positive therapy for me. Also, because I felt the need to protect the honor of our fallen brothers from the hateful and disrespect treatment by some that wanted to rewrite history and also the recent abundance of posers and wannabes that attempt to steal the honor and the glory of those who fell in battle and we survivors that know the truth. I believe our shared combat experiences and our shared legacy makes us unique brothers, as well as our brotherhood with all Marines.
Semper Fi, Scott

Great idea Gunny,many of us that served in the I Corp as I did In 66-67 inside the wire or outside not all of us could be 0311.I my self was a gasgrunt 1391 served in and outside the wire.I'll never forget the smell in the air when I got off the plane the first time in Danang April 66.

I just want to add that I realize that what I called a place to get some healing time is really a place to talk and get some coping skills, that's what I meant to say. We will never heal from the war only learn to deal with on a daily basis. The war is part of our permanent persona now. I think that's what finally helped me to understand my choices when it comes to dealing with the war, either I do or I don't, not much of a choice but it's the only one I have.

But as I share with you here on the blog you'l see that I'm a even and balanced Marine who remember's the funny stuff as well as the tough stuff. Just like the time one of our Marines stood up during a monsoon rain, looked up at the sky, shook both fists and yelled out at the top of his lungs: No balls to quit rain god, no F**king Balls!

I still don't talk much about I Corps--as someone said--whether you were inside or outside the wire it was still a mindf***! Where else could a stupid young punk have SOS for breakfast, go out with the grunts south of Marble Mt, call in an air strike and be back inside with time enough to check out a surfboard and play among the sea snakes! As a 2881 Crypto tech, I didn't see much action--but what I did see has remained with me forever. It shaped me into what I am today--a stupid old punk!
Semper Fi, my brothers.

Am intotal agreement with what Gunny said and the way he said it. Couldn't have been put better. Always easy to tell the ones that were there. We do have a Special Brotherhood inside the Brotherhood of being MARINES; I call it " BROTHERS FORGED UNDER FIRE ".

some things in life we learn early:
(like putting our feet in our mouth)
somethings else in life take time and understanding....
49 / 50 some years later, i can see it in my dreams like i just left yesterday.

Marines here help me
deal and cope/ and once in awhile
give me a "Laugh" and a good memory or two...